Dynasty League Rookie Prospect: Ohio St. WR Devin Smith

Nov 29, 2014; Columbus, OH, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive back Blake Countess (2) hits Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Devin Smith (9) before the ball arrives at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Last week ESPN’s Mel Kiper did his first mock of the year, and he had Devin Smith, a wide receiver out of Ohio St. going in the first round to the Seattle Seahawks. This was a shock because not many people had Smith ranked that high in their rankings. Is Kiper seeing something in Smith that we aren’t, or is he mocking Smith to Seattle just because they desperately need a receiver and he was the receiver that caught his eye at the moment?

I went back and watched the tape on Devin Smith and I saw a very fast receiver who can take the top off the defense, and could be a deep ball threat in the NFL. Smith has great ball skills, and can out jump a lot of defenders down field for the ball. Devin Smith’s route running is very limited. He specializes in running go routes and deep posts, and he rarely runs any routes underneath the coverage. As a player Smith is very comparable to receivers like Kenny Stills and Robert Meachem, who are deep ball specialists for the Saints.

This week during the weigh-ins before the Senior Bowl practices, Smith weighed in at 190 pounds on his 6’0 frame. This is a major red flag because he is very thin for playing in the NFL. Receivers around his size are usually about 10 pounds heavier and are exceptional route runners, like Antonio Brown. Another red flag for Smith is his college production. Smith hasn’t had a season with over 1,000 yards receiving. This season he played all 14 games and he had 33 receptions for 931 yards and 12 TDs, averaging 28.2 yards per catch. The 28.2 yards per catch indicates that Smith runs a ton of deep routes and he doesn’t run much underneath to lower the average. In 2013, he had 660 yards receiving and in 2012 he had 618 yards receiving. Smith only had five 100 yard receiving games in his collegiate career. What’s concerning about Smith’s statistics is that it shows that he was not dominate at the college level. If he can’t dominate at the college level how can he be dominate in the NFL?

I don’t see Smith going in the first round, and I believe Kiper’s mock will change between now and the draft and it will not have Smith in the first round. I can see Smith being a mid-late round pick. What will keep him in the middle rounds will be his ability to play special teams. Smith will go in the late 2^nd to the mid-3^rd in rookie drafts. I won’t be drafting Smith in many of my drafts because I feel that it will take him a few years to develop, and I would rather take a shot on a player that has a higher floor.

Next: NFL Prospect Watch: USC WR Nelson Agholor

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